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A leaking air conditioning unit can be a frustrating problem, potentially causing water damage and reducing system efficiency. Understanding the causes of AC leaks and how to address them is essential for maintaining a reliable cooling system. At Ellis Air Conditioning and Heating, we offer expert solutions for identifying and fixing AC leaks to keep your system running smoothly and your home comfortable.

Common Causes of Air Conditioner Leaks

There are several reasons why an air conditioning unit might leak, and understanding these causes can help in preventing further issues:

Clogged Drain Line

The most common reason for an AC leak is a clogged drain line. When dirt, dust, or mold accumulates in the line, it blocks the path for condensation to drain away, causing water to back up and leak from the unit.

Frozen Evaporator Coil

If the evaporator coil becomes too cold, it can freeze. When the ice eventually melts, excess water can overflow the drain pan and leak onto the floor. This is often due to issues like low refrigerant levels or restricted airflow.

Cracked or Damaged Drain Pan

Older air conditioners may have drain pans that are cracked or rusted, causing water to leak. This is particularly common in units that have been in service for more than 10 years.

Dirty Air Filter

A clogged air filter can restrict airflow over the evaporator coil, causing it to freeze. Once the ice melts, the excess water may leak from the unit.

Low Refrigerant Levels

When refrigerant levels are low, the pressure in the system drops, causing the evaporator coil to freeze. The subsequent melting of the ice leads to leaks.

Steps to Fix a Leaking Air Conditioning Unit

If you notice water pooling around your AC unit, taking swift action can help prevent damage to your home and HVAC system. Here’s how you can address a leaking air conditioner:

1. Check the Drain Line: Inspect the drain line for clogs. If you find any blockage, try using a wet/dry vacuum to clear it or contact a professional for a thorough cleaning.
2. Inspect the Air Filter: If the air filter is dirty or clogged, replace it immediately. This can help restore proper airflow and prevent the evaporator coil from freezing again.
3. Assess the Drain Pan: Look for any cracks or rust in the drain pan. If you find damage, replacing the pan may be necessary to stop the leak.
4. Contact a Professional for Refrigerant Issues: If you suspect low refrigerant levels or a frozen coil, it’s best to contact an HVAC professional. Handling refrigerant requires specialized skills and equipment to ensure safe and effective repairs.

Preventing Future AC Leaks

Regular maintenance is key to preventing air conditioning leaks. Here’s how you can keep your system leak-free and running efficiently:

• Schedule Routine HVAC Maintenance: Regular maintenance by a certified technician can catch potential problems before they lead to leaks. This includes inspecting the drain line, cleaning the evaporator coil, and checking refrigerant levels.
• Change Air Filters Regularly: Replace air filters every 1-3 months to ensure optimal airflow and prevent the evaporator coil from freezing.
• Clean the Drain Line: Periodically flushing the drain line with a mixture of water and vinegar can help prevent clogs and buildup.
• Inspect the Drain Pan Annually: Check the condition of the drain pan at least once a year, especially if your AC unit is older.

The Ellis AC Advantage in Resolving AC Leaks

At Ellis Air Conditioning and Heating, we specialize in diagnosing and repairing air conditioning leaks for homeowners. Our experienced technicians use the latest diagnostic tools to quickly identify the cause of the leak and provide effective solutions. With over 40 years of HVAC experience, we guarantee prompt, reliable service to keep your system running smoothly.

Why Choose Ellis AC for Air Conditioning Repair?

• Certified Technicians: Our team has extensive training in all aspects of HVAC repair, including AC leaks.
• Advanced Diagnostic Tools: We use state-of-the-art equipment to accurately detect leaks and repair your system.
• Preventative Maintenance Plans: Our maintenance programs are designed to keep your system in top shape, reducing the likelihood of future leaks.
• 24/7 Emergency Services: When leaks happen at inconvenient times, we’re here to provide fast, reliable emergency repair services.

Contact Ellis Air Conditioning and Heating Today

Don’t let a leaking air conditioning unit disrupt your comfort. Contact Ellis Air Conditioning and Heating today for expert diagnosis and repair. Our certified technicians are ready to restore your system to peak performance, ensuring your home stays cool and comfortable. Schedule your service today and keep your AC running efficiently.

http://www.redbeacon.com/hg/why-my-air-conditioner-leaking-water/

Duct-work can be a blessing during hot summers and cold winters, as it transports warm or cool air to the rooms that need it most, but it can be a nightmare when it needs to be cleaned. If your home has duct-work, it’s important to keep it clean to keep the air inside your home healthful, control the symptoms of allergies or asthma, and reduce your cleaning workload.

What Is Duct-Work?

Ducts are the component of HVAC systems that transport air. They may deliver air that has been cooled by a central air conditioner or warmed by a heating system, or remove air to ventilate rooms. If a home has some form of central heating, ventilation, or air conditioning system, it has duct-work.

When Should Ducts Be Cleaned?

Sometimes, it’s easy to tell when duct-work needs cleaning– if you see dust collected around air vents or immediately inside ducts, that’s a sign that they need to be cleaned. You may also notice more dust collecting on your furniture or upholstery. There may also be sign of mold or rodent infestation. These are all signs of ducts that have been neglected and ducts should be kept properly cleaned and maintained long before they get to that stage. If proper cleaning and maintenance procedures are followed, ducts should only need to be cleaned about every 3 to 7 years.

Are There Benefits to Having Clean Duct-Work?

The air quality in the average home can be up to five times worse than the air quality outside. This can aggravate conditions like allergies, asthma, or COPD. While the EPA has not found that duct cleaning actually prevents the development of health problems, keeping ducts clean can make those who already suffer from them more comfortable.

Are There Drawbacks to Having Dirty Duct-Work?

If ducts are allowed to accumulate dust, pollen, mold, or rodent droppings, this can result in these particles being blown into living spaces. They can settle on furniture and upholstery, requiring homeowners to clean more often in order to keep down dust levels inside their homes. People with allergies or other breathing problems may also notice that their symptoms worsen as ducts accumulate more and more dirt. Some people may even notice a direct correlation between feeling ill and their time spent inside a specific building, a condition called “sick building syndrome” that may be tied to dirty, poorly maintained HVAC systems.

There are few things more important than clean air. By having your duct-work properly cleaned and kept in good repair, you can help ensure the cleanliness of your home and the health of your family.

Sources:
http://www.air-care.com/faq
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/airduct.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sick_building_syndrome

Everyone knows that good insulation can keep many unwanted things out of your home, but how many people think about the undesirable health hazards that old insulation can bring into your home? Depending on the type of insulation you have in your home, your health could be compromised, and your insulation could also be too old to be effective. This article will focus on the health hazards of old insulation as well as how to identify it.

Identifying Old Insulation

A few examples of older insulation are loose-fill or batt fiberglass insulation. Batt fiberglass is often identifiable by color, and it can come in the pink, yellow or white variety. While fiberglass insulation is still used today, older insulation tends to be discolored or torn, making it far less effective. Another older type of insulation is loose fill rockwool, easily identifiable by its greyish, wool-like appearance. A few more examples of old insulation are sawdust, balsa wood, shredded newspaper and loose-fill cellulose.

Types of Dangerous Old Insulation

Although most people are aware of the dangers of asbestos, there are a few more types of hazardous insulation that are commonly found in older homes. If you do have asbestos insulation in your home, you should not try to remove it yourself. The safest way to remove asbestos from your home is to hire an asbestos abatement contractor.

Vermiculite

Vermiculite is a pretty popular and widely used type of insulation. It’s pretty easy to identify. It looks like loose gravel or small packing peanuts. Vermiculite itself is not dangerous, but if your home was built before 1990, it’s probably contaminated with asbestos. This is because most of the vermiculite produced in the United States before 1990 came from a mine that was found to contain a deposit of asbestos.

Urea Formaldehyde Foam

The use of urea formaldehyde foam dates back to the early 1930’s. It has a yellowish color and looks like oozing liquid that has been hardened. Although urea formaldehyde foam is usually found in homes built before the 1970’s, it was also used extensively up until the 1980’s. Eventually, this type of insulation was found to emit formaldehyde vapors during the curing process. In turn, the increased formaldehyde levels caused multiple adverse health effects impacting the eyes, nose, and respiratory systems.

Asbestos

Asbestos insulation has been officially banned in most countries since the late 1980’s. Nevertheless, it’s still found in many older homes across the country. Asbestos can cause a wide variety of health issues. Here is a list of a few of them:

• Mesothelioma
• Asbestosis
• Lung cancer
• The increased risk of throat, esophagus and kidney cancers.

As you can see, keeping that old insulation around can carry a lot of risks. Besides, the older the insulation, the less effective it is at insulating your home. So if you have an older home and suspect that it may still have old insulation, give it a once over, and with these tips you’ll be on your way to an energy-efficient, healthier home in no time!

Sources:

http://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-home/indoor-air-quality/asbestos-basics.aspx

http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/eh/air/fs/vermiculite.htm

http://bloomingtonmn.gov/main_top/6_pubsafety/asbestos/asbestos.htm

The indoor air quality is greatly affected by a tightly sealed home, and air pollutants can build up unless they are filtered from the home properly. Dust mites and pet dander are the worst culprits for breathing and allergy issues, leaving a growing number of homeowners searching for a way to filter the air and improve the overall air quality in the home.

1. Improve Indoor Air Quality

Not surprisingly, indoor air quality matters when it comes to green-building modifications; it is one of the most important aspects of a green building certification. Remodelers and builders who are serious about winning a green certification consider the indoor air quality as well as energy efficiency when creating or redoing a building.

Whole-home systems are very popular; they clean the air throughout the home and can easily be added to any HVAC system. They help circulate the air and filter it through a series of filters throughout the home.

2. Ease of Installation

As stated before, these systems can be installed into any existing system. An air filtration system can be retrofitted or built new into the system. Many companies are glad to improve the overall efficiency of a home by increasing the air circulation, and installation does not typically require much time.

3. Price Efficiency

Among the most price efficient options is the electrostatic recessed air cleaner. These systems are created to keep a low profile and they resemble register vents in appearance. They are often concealed inside return air boxes, installed inside ceilings or walls. These units are usually not tied into the HVAC system, making installation much faster than other options.

Higher-end electrostatic systems to clean the air can be connected directly to an HVAC system and placed between the ductwork and the air handler. The installation is simple and fast, keeping costs down for the homeowner. This system uses combinations of polarization and HEPA or MERV filters.

Finally, a HEPA air purifier is a third economical option that runs separately from the HVAC system and uses pleated filters to catch particles. A fan pulls air through the filter, and these units do not produce ozone.

4. Ease of Care

The systems are easy to care for, creating a more convenient option for the homeowner. Simply clean or replace the filter every 30 to 60 days to keep the unit in top working condition. The system helps keep the residents of the building healthy with minimal work from the homeowner.

The EPA estimates – indoor air quality can be 5 times more polluted than outdoor air. Air ducts and ventilation systems are the biggest contributing factors in poor indoor air quality. The tiny but mighty air ducts contain a host of harmful fungi, bacteria and mold. Make sure that you inspect the ductwork of your home and business. Make it a priority.

Homeowners often retreat indoors, not realizing the fact that their ‘sweet home’ can exacerbate instead of alleviate the itchy eyes, runny nose and the sneezing.

First things first; measure the air leakage of your home and then take the necessary steps to resolve air leakage. Well; the steps may vary depending on the home’s issues. It may include attic insulation, replacing or re-caulking windows or doors, improving ductwork in the house and more.

Next step, focus on the HVAC systems that regulate the air intake into the home. Make sure that the units are of the appropriate size the home, the filters are properly configured in order to reduce airborne allergens entering the home.

Yes; all these steps prevent outdoor allergens entering the home, but what can you do with the indoor allergens?

Asthma Triggers  

The fact has been proven that poor indoor air quality can actually cause asthma in children. Keeping your system clean therefore should be a priority.

Pet Dander

Yes; we all know a whopping amount of more than 30 percent of the population in the U.S. suffers from pet allergies. The HVAC systems that include HEPA filters are ideal for filtering pet dander.

Filter the Dust and Pollutants

Remember; the pollutants that get trapped in your home will simply keep on circulating in absence of a high-quality air filter. After all your HVAC system provides you with the opportunity for improving the indoor air quality so make the best use of it.

Can you remember the last time you had your chimney or your dryer vent cleaned? Homeowners often forget how important Chimney dryer vent cleaning is to the integrity of their house and their health.  It not only contributes to clean indoor air but also improve the efficiency of your home and reduces the risk of fire. What’s more? Well; preventative chimney dryer vent cleaning and maintenance also helps in reducing long term energy bills.

We use highly effective equipment to vacuum the contaminants out of your air ducts. Our high end and effective filters can remove particles as small as .3 microns from your ductwork.

We offer a variety of services and products for your air conditioning system, as well as what you need to clean your fireplace and dryer vent. Call us now

AFUE

Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. Indicated as a percentage, your furnace’s AFUE tells you how much energy is being converted to heat. For example, an AFUE of 90 means that 90% of the fuel is being used to warm your home, while the other 10% escapes as exhaust with the combustion gases.

Advanced Reciprocating Compressor

Type of compressor that uses a more efficient process for compressing refrigerant for better cooling efficiency

Air Handler

The portion of your air conditioner or heating system that forces air through your home’s ductwork.

BTU

British Thermal Unit. Used for both heating and cooling, BTU is a measure of the heat given off when fuel is combusted. Or for cooling, it’s a measure of heat extracted from your home. (One BTU is approximately equal to the heat given off by a wooden kitchen match.)

BTUH

A British Thermal Unit (BTU) is the unit of heat required to raise 1 pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit. BTUH is British Thermal Units per Hour.

Beckett Burner

A burner assembly within your oil furnace, manufactured by Beckett to exact specifications of Carrier. This burner provides good combustion of heating oil.
CFM

Stands for Cubic Feet per Minute. A measurement of airflow that indicates how many cubic feet of air pass by a stationary point in one minute. The higher the number, the more air is being forced through the system.

Capacity

The ability of a heating or cooling system to heat or cool a given amount of space. For heating, this is usually expressed in BTUs. For cooling, it is usually given in tons.

Carbon Monoxide

A colorless, odorless, highly poisonous gas produced when carbon-based fuels, such as natural gas, burns without sufficient air nearby.

ComfortHeat

Carrier’s exclusive ComfortHeat technology accurately predicts the need for heating while cutting temperature swings in half.

ComfortHeat Pump System

ComfortHeat Pump System is Carrier’s exclusive heat pump system that provides significantly warmer supply air from the registers for enhanced occupant comfort.

Compressor

Part of a split-system heat pump or air conditioner’s outdoor unit that controls the pressure applied to the refrigerant, necessary for taking in heat to warm your home with a heat pump or getting rid of heat to keep your home cool.

Condenser Coil

Part of the outdoor portion of a split-system air conditioner or heat pump. By converting refrigerant that is in a gas form back to a liquid, the coil sends heat carried by the refrigerant to the outside.

DB

Decibels (dB) are a unit measuring the intensity of noise.

Damper

A type of “valve” used in duct work that opens or closes to control airflow. Used in zoning to control the amount of warm or cool air entering certain areas of your home.

Downflow

A type of furnace that takes cool air from the top and blows warm air to the bottom-commonly used where furnaces must be located in a second-floor closet or utility area.

Ductwork

Hollow pipes used to transfer air from the Air Handler to the air vents throughout your home. Ductwork is one of the most important components of a home heating and cooling system.

EER

Energy Efficiency Ratings (EER) measure the efficiency with which a product uses energy to function. It is calcuated by dividing a product’s BTU output by its wattage.

Electronic Air Cleaner (EAC)

An electronic device that filters out large particles and contaminants in indoor air. It then electronically pulls out tiny particles that have been magnetized, such as viruses and bacteria, drawing them to a collector plate.

Energy Saver Switch

An energy-saver switch causes the air conditioner’s fan and compressor to cycle on and off together, reducing energy use.

Energy Star

Energy Star is a government-backed program helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. Products with the Energy Star rating will be efficient and save cost on energy bills.

Evaporator Coil

Part of a split-system air conditioner or heat pump located indoors. The evaporator coil cools and dehumidifies the air by converting liquid refrigerant into a gas (or vice-versa). A blower moter, typically in a furnace, then moves air over the coil to either heat or cool your home.

Fan Coil

An indoor component of an air conditioner or heat pump system, used in place of a furnace and evaporator coil, to provide change the refrigerant from a gas to a liquid (or vice-versa) and blow air over the coil to cool or heat your home.

HSPF

The Heating Seasonal Performance Factor is a measure of the heating efficiency of a heat pump. The higher the HSPF number, the more efficiently the heat pump heats your home.

HVAC

Term used for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning

Heat Exchanger

The part of a furnace that transfers heat to nearby air.

Heat Pump

A product that works just like an air conditioner in cooling mode; however, in heating mode, the refrigerant flow is reversed and heat is extracted from the outside air too heat your home.

Horizontal Flow

A type of furnace, installed on its “side”, that draws in air from one side, heats it and sends the warm air out the other side. Most often used for installations in attics or crawl spaces

Humidifier

A piece of equipment that adds water vapor to heated air as it moves out of the furnace. This adds necessary moisture to protect your furnishings and reduce static electricity.

Hybrid Heat

Hybrid Heat systems deliver exceptional performance by using a heating source that provides the most energy-efficient comfort during moderate heating conditions.

IdealDefrost

IdealDefrost is Carrier’s proprietary defrost management innovation for maintaining the ideal defrost interval for a heat pump, enhancing comfort and efficiency.

IdealHumidity

IdealHumidity™ is Carrier’s proprietary humidity management innovation for maintaining the ideal comfort in a home.

Indoor Coil

see Evaporator Coil

Load Estimate

A series of studies performed to determine the heating or cooling requirements of your home. An energy load analysis uses information such as the square footage of your home, window or door areas, insulation quality and local climate to determine the heating and cooling capacity needed by your furnace, heat pump or air conditioner. When referring to heating, this is often known as a Heat Loss Analysis, since a home’s heating requirements are determined by the amount of heat lost through the roof, entry ways and walls.

Low Boy

Low Boy is a type of furnace configuration in which the furnace is lower in height and occupies more floor space.

MERV

The Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value is the standard comparison of the efficiency of an air filter. The MERV scale ranges from 1 (least efficient) to 16 (most efficient), and measures a filter’s ability remove particles from 3 to 10 microns in size.

Matched System

A heating and cooling system comprised of products that have been certified to perform at promised comfort and efficiency levels when used together, and used according to design and engineering specifications.

Operating Cost

The day-to-day cost of running your home comfort equipment, based on energy use.

Outdoor Coil

see Condenser Coil

Payback Analysis

Overall measure of the efficiency and value of your home comfort system. By combining your purchase price and ongoing operating costs, a payback analysis determines the number of years required before monthly energy savings offset the purchase price.

Puron Refrigerant

Puron® Refrigerant is an environmentally sound refrigerant designed not to harm the earth’s ozone layer. Federal law requires that all manufacturers phase out ozone depleting refrigerants in the next few years. Puron Refrigerant is approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency as a replacement from Freon 22*.

QuieTech

QuieTech™ is a noise reduction system that provides comfortable heat while generating very little noise in the process.

R-22 refrigerant

R-22 is a single component HCFC refrigerant with low ozone depletion potential. It has long been used in a variety of air-conditioning and refrigeration applications in a variety of markets. Production of R-22 will cease in 2015 per the Montreal Protocol.

Reciprocating Compressor

A type of compressor used in air conditioners that compresses refrigerant by using a type of “piston” action.

Reclaiming

Returning used refrigerant to the manufacturer for disposal or reuse.

Recycling

Removing, cleaning and reusing refrigerant.

Refrigerant Lines

Two copper lines that connect the Condenser (Outdoor) Coil to the Evaporator (Indoor) Coil.

Riello Burner

A burner assembly within your oil furnace, manufactured by Riello to exact specifications of Carrier. This burner provides a cleaner, higher quality combustion of heating oil to increase energy efficiency.

SEER

The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio is a measure of the cooling efficiency of your air conditioner or heat pump. The higher the SEER number, the more efficient the system is at converting electricity into cooling power.

Scroll Compressor

A specially designed compressor that works in a circular motion vs. an up and down piston action.

Serpentuff

Carrier’s exclusive Serpentuff™ Heat Exchanger features a patented polypropylene laminate, so that it extracts nearly all of the heat from the system and makes the most of the energy used.

Setback Thermostat

A state-of-the-art electronic thermostat with a built-in memory that can be programmed for different temperature settings at different times of the day.

Silencer System

Carrier Silencer System II ensures quite operation inside and out. Our systems meet or exceed local and industry sound standards with quiet motor mounts, a compressor sound blanket, forward swept fan blades, a laminated sound elimination compressor mounting plate and a a unique top with integrated silencer airflow baffle.

Single Package Product

One outdoor unit that contains both a heating and a cooling system.

SmartRecovery

Smart Recovery starts the system in advance to be sure that each zone reaches your selected temperature setting at the scheduled time.

Split System

Refers to an air conditioner or heat pump that has components in two locations. Usually, one part of the system is located inside (evaporator coil) and the other is located outside your home (condenser coil).

Thermidistat

The Thermidistat™ Control monitors temperatures both inside and outside, as well as indoor humidity and adjusts system operation to maintain the temperature and humidity levels set by the homeowner.

Thermostat

Unit that monitors and controls your HVAC system products.

Thermostatic Expansion Valve

A thermostatic expansion valve (TXV) is precision device used to meter the flow of liquid refrigerant entering the evaporator at a rate that matches the amount of refrigerant being boiled off in the evaporator.

Ton

A unit of measure for cooling capacity. One ton = 12,000 BTUs per hour.

Total Home Comfort System

The ultimate solution to providing you with consistent, customized home comfort, despite the ever-changing weather.

TrueSense Dirty Filter Detection

TrueSense™ dirty filter detection reminds you when it’s time to change your media filter.

Two Stage Compressor

Two Stage Compressors are capable of two levels of operation, a low stage and a high stage. Properly sized equipment will operate 80% of the time in low stage, enhancing efficiency and comfort with lower humidity levels and quieter operation. It’s like getting two air conditioners or heat pumps in one system.

UL

UL is an objective, non-profit organization that tests and rates electrical products for public safety.

Upflow

A type of furnace that draws cool air from the bottom and blows the warmed air out the top into the duct work. This type of furnace is usually installed in a basement or an out-of-the-way closet.

Ventilator

A ventilator captures heating or cooling energy from stale indoor air and transfers it to fresh incoming air.

WeatherArmor

WeatherArmor™ is a Carrier innovation that protects outdoor units from weather and increases durability.

Zoning

A way to increase your home comfort and energy efficiency by controlling when and where heating and cooling occurs in a home. Programmable thermostats are used to control operating times of the equipment. Dampers are used to direct air flow to certain parts or “zones” of the home.

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